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customers need them. Founded with the aim of redefining the self-storage experience through exceptional service, security and convenience, the company has built a reputation for making storage simple and stress free. In 2020, Space Station entered a new chapter when it was acquired by Heitman, a leading global real estate investment management firm. Kevin Prince, CEO elaborates on how that acquisition has shaped the business since.

“ Our history is quite unique. The company was started in 1983 by Alistair Caldwell, who had previously earned his living as the McLaren Formula 1 team boss. It is quite a leap from Formula 1 to the dizzy heights of self-storage, but there we are. Alistair’ s

claim to fame was winning McLaren’ s first ever world championship in 1974 with driver Emerson Fittipaldi and again two years later with James Hunt. Having used self-storage facilities in the US, he saw it as a concept worth bringing to the UK when he retired. In his early 40s, he stepped away from Formula 1 and started Space Station, one of the first selfstorage businesses in the country. He built up five stores, and his daughter eventually joined him, gradually taking on more of the dayto-day running as Alistair withdrew from the business. When he fully retired, he handed the business to her and went off rallying vintage cars around the world, something he still does at the age of 83. I joined in 2007 to run the business in his daughter’ s place after she started a family. Then in 2019, Alistair decided the time had come to sell. I found him a buyer in Heitman, an American real estate investment firm with a strong track record in

Very grateful for GTK INSTALLATIONS to be working on another Space Station project. The Stafford contract was by far the most challenging to date. From multi 5 & 6 tier mezzanines, external stair tower, to forming openings with new steels in roof. The job was very different to the usual.

With SPACE STATION’ S desire and vision to restore & refurbish a historical building it was very satisfying for GTK Installations to be a part of the team and to see the finished article. I believe all included should feel proud of the build.

GTK Installations Ltd Unit 1 Broadfield Industrial Estate Seymour Road Heywood Lancashire OL10 3AJ T: 01706 624269 E: gordon @ gtkinstallations. co. uk

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